Imperial Saint
, the Lord Commander Solar, at the outset of the Macharian Conquests.]] An Imperial Saint is one of the men and women who have given their lives for the glory of the Emperor and are now venerated as religious icons by the adherents of the Imperial Creed. Some are very minor, only revered in a single city or town, while some may be found wherever Imperial rule extends. Large or small, saints form the human face of the Adeptus Ministorum, giving worshippers something to relate to and aspire toward. Saints are also often associated with certain aspects and particular causes, such as star travel or guilt. Some saints are even highly specialised, watching out for those that work with ill-tempered Grox, for example. This means, regardless of the situation, there is always a saint that watches over the faithful and over those to whom the faithful offer a prayer of intercession for the protection of the God-Emperor. The truly devout take no chances and festoon themselves with the symbols and tokens of many Imperial Saints. Saints also have a prominent place in Imperial culture beyond their religious connotations. Their names can be found on everything from worlds and voidcraft to streets and children. Often something that is akin to a saint's cause bears their name, such as a warship called The Saint Drusus (of which there are one hundred and thirteen so named to date), so it might embody some of the fierceness of its namesake. Taking all of this into account, saints form an important part of an Imperial citizen's life, as prolific and ever-present as the Cult of the God-Emperor itself. History Saints are those mortals who, by formal pronouncement of the Ecclesiarchy, have been elevated by the Emperor's grace far above the bulk of humanity. They are exceptionally holy individuals, and their words and deeds are held to be the direct work of the God-Emperor Himself. Throughout the ten thousand standard years of the Age of the Imperium, millions of men and women have been recognised as saints, in many cases long after their death and only after several Terran decades of consideration. Most are known and venerated only within a specific region or sector of the galaxy, but some, such as Sebastian Thor himself, are known across the length and breadth of the Imperium. Men and women may be declared saints for all manner of deeds, but in most cases they will have performed some great service to the Imperium and the faith of the Imperial Creed. In a galaxy riven by war, it should be no surprise that many were great warriors, often leaders of massive Imperial Crusades that conquered vast swathes of space, or liberators of human worlds enslaved by aliens or recidivists. Many were Imperial generals or admirals, while others were simple foot soldiers who by doing their duty, turned the tide of battle and molded history. Other saints were great teachers or orators, men and women who with a single word or missive could achieve what a million Imperial Guardsmen could not. The writers of the most learned of religious tracts are also often made saints, lending even greater weight to teachings preached across countless planets. Furthermore, it is common practice for Ecclesiarchs to be declared saints after death, although the "beatification" of less well-respected or beloved individuals may take solar decades or even centuries to come about. Many are regarded as intercessors, to whom prayers are addressed and offerings are made to aid the faithful. It is held that the saint, being human but also close to the God-Emperor, might be able to petition the Emperor and bring about some tangible effect. Saints may come to be regarded as able to intercede on specific issues, such as to provide deliverance from oppressors, safe passage through the Warp, a successful annual crop or a warrior's true aim. Given that such a vast pantheon of saints exists, the matters on which they are said to be able to intercede are often extremely specialised. Some regiments of the Astra Militarum, for example, hold that there is a specific saint for every single one of the thousands of marks of standard-issue Lasgun. Saint Worship Just as the Imperial Cult allows cultures and peoples to integrate the superstitions of their local worlds and ways of life into the larger Imperial Creed, so too do saints offer the common citizen a focus for their devotion more personal and approachable than that of the God-Emperor alone. Saint worship is seen by the Imperial Church as an aspect of worship of the God-Emperor -- the reasoning being that all saints rise up to become one with Him. Therefore, to revere a saint is to revere the Emperor. That being said, the Ministorum is meticulous in who or what is deemed a "saint" and even the entire support of a planet or star system is sometimes not enough for them to be considered legitimate. For example, within the Calixis Sector, there are at least a score or more of true saints, sanctioned by the Ecclesiarchy and recognised as high up as the Segmentum Obscurus Synod, while hundreds more lesser or unsanctioned saints are still worshiped on worlds all across the sector. Though they risk punitive measures from the Church, or in extreme cases the brand of heresy from the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition, those not truly approved continue to rise up from the notable deeds and legends of common (and not so common) men and women. Saints and Martyrs There is a fine line between saints and martyrs, and in many cases those who achieve sainthood only do so through martyrdom. However the numbers of martyrs far outweigh the lists of the saints, though they are still honoured and remembered in their own way. Martyrs are examples held up by the Imperial Church as a lesson in the ultimate expression of faith and the righteous conclusion of a life lived in the service of the God-Emperor. The worlds of the Calixis Sector are riddled with martyrs, from the well-known ones, like the seventeen Holy Martyrs of Gallowglass, Sisters of Battle who gave their lives in a heroic last stand, to the nearly forgotten, like the "Lost Pilgrim," who represents those that stray from the trails of pilgrimage and disappear into the void. Quite often an individual or group will be remembered for many standard years as a martyr or martyrs before their deeds are considered great enough to be raised to sainthood. Such an example is the Tranch War Saint, a nameless Imperial Guardsman said to have fallen in the Tranch War only to rise up and fight again at the side of his comrades no less than thirteen times despite terrible, mortal wounds. From reports given by the Departmento Munitorum and numerous Commissars, there has been a movement to raise this nameless soldier up to sainthood for his martyrdom and he has been repeatedly put forward on the Festival of Saints for the consideration of the Calixis Sector Synod. To date, they have only deemed him a martyr of exceptional faith and not yet granted the mantle of sainthood. Living Saints of the Adepta Sororitas ]] Living Saints are those members of the Adepta Sororitas who are said to be so holy in mind, body and spirit that they somehow manifest something of the sacred power of the Emperor Himself. Living Saints are not beatified after their death, but rather are spontaneous manifestations of the Emperor's grace. Living Saints literally glow with power, and even the least faithful will have no choice but to collapse to his knees in her presence. A Living Saint will usually, though not always, manifest from among the ranks of the Adepta Sororitas, all of whom are strictly female. Typically, the manifestation of a Living Saint will presage some great endeavour, in which countless millions of the faithful take up arms in the name of the Emperor and truly extraordinary feats are performed. Sadly, the phenomenon is often short-lived, for it appears that the Living Saints are beacons of faith that burn blindingly bright, yet tragically brief. Before her death, however, a Living Saint will have changed the course of history for the better. Living Saints are of great interest to the Thorian faction of the Inquisition, who regard them as vessels of the Emperor's power in the model of Sebastian Thor himself. This also makes them a target for the enemies of the faction, who have on several occasions sought to capture a Living Saint and dissect her in order to discover the source of her powers. Festival of Saints Most saints have their own holy days that are specific to them and their deeds (such as Saint Drusus). However, the Festival of Saints provides a day for all saints to be honoured, as well as a time when new saints may join their ranks. This is especially important for very minor saints, such as Yorgic Thrice-Branded or Ewerft the Handless, who have small followings and little power within the Ecclesiarchy. During this time, stories are told and devout followers try and convert people by extolling the virtues and merits of their chosen saint. As a result, it can be a dangerous (or at least frightening) time to go near to a shrine as citizens are accosted by frothing saint worshippers dressed in bizarre costumes and spouting proverbs. Causing an equally strong response is enough for the chance of being raised to sainthood. While it is uncommon for anyone to be so bold as to try and claim that they themselves should be canonised (though there are a few that have tried -- some with surprisingly good cases), every voice seems to know of someone who died serving the Emperor and thus deserves the eternal recognition of the Ecclesiarchy. As a result, the clerics and priests are subjected to long lines of supplicants and must listen to countless solar hours of prattle to then judge whether any are worthy of the greater attention of the Ecclesiarchy. Notable Imperials Saints Source *''Black Crusade: Hand of Corruption'' (RPG), pg. 5 * =''Black Legion - A Codex: Chaos Space Marines Supplement'' (E-Book), pg. 32 *''Codex: Chaos Space Marines'' (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), pg. 63 *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (5th Edition), pp. 13-14 *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (3rd Edition), pg. 22 *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (2nd Edition), pp. 31-32, 59, 83 *''Codex: Sisters of Battle'' (2nd Edition), pp. 43-44, 60 *''Codex: Witch Hunters'' (3rd Edition), pg. 47 *''Dark Heresy: Blood of Martyrs'' (RPG), pp. 13-15, 17-21, 23, 25, 27, 42-44 *''Dark Heresy: Core Rulebook'' (RPG), pp. 282, 361-362 *''Dark Heresy: Church of the Damned'', pp. 16-17, 61 *''Dark Heresy: Enemies Within'' (2nd Edition) (RPG), pg. 13 *''Dark Heresy: The Chaos Commandment'' (RPG), pg. 58 *''Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook'' (RPG), pg. 197 *''Deathwatch: Rising Tempest'' (RPG), pg. 44 *''Deathwatch: Rites of Battle'' (RPG), pg. 233 *''Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks, Part One'' *''Imperial Armour Volume Ten - The Badab War: Part One'', pp. 108-109 *''Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara'', pg. 94 *''Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus'', pp. 21-22 *''Inquisitor - The Thorians'' by Gav Thorpe, pp 7-8 *''Rogue Trader: Edge of the Abyss'' (RPG), pg. 94 *''Rogue Trader: The Navis Primer'' (RPG), pg. 75 *''The Sabbat Worlds Crusade'' (Background Book) *''The Inquisition: Illustrated Guide'', pg. 8 *''Warhammer 40,000: Cities of Death'', pg. 55 *''Warhammer 40,000: Rulebook'' (6th Edition), pg. 170 *''White Dwarf'' 240 (US), "Conqueror of Darkness - Imperial Lord Solar Macharius," pp. 32-33 *''White Dwarf'' 269 (UK), "Index Astartes: Armoured Personnel Carrier - The Space Marine Rhino," by Graham McNeill, pg. 12 *''White Dwarf'' 289 (US), "The Liber Sororitas," pp. 78-81 *''Horus Rising'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Altar of Cyrene'' (Short Story) by Lucien Soulban *''Angel of Fire'' (Novel) by William King *''Fist of Demetrius'' (Novel) by William King *''Fall of Macharius'' (Novel) by William King *''Last Chancers'' (Novel) by Gav Thorpe *''Malleus'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''Xenos'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett *''For the Emperor'' (Novel) by Sandy Mitchell *''Sons of Fenris'' (Novel) by Lee Lightner *''The Killing Ground'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill, pg. 248 *''Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm'' (PC Game) es:Santo Category:I Category:Adeptus Ministorum Category:Imperium Category:Adepta Sororitas